Tape holder



Patented July 12, 1949 CarlIFU-Primc, Qhlioago, Ill., assignortoLionManufacturing Corporation, Chicago, .Ill., .acorporation of IllinoisApplication-zlianuary 12, 1945, Seria1TNo.Z572;5'-7'2 .6 Claims. (01.164.781)

The present invention relates in general to tapes and tapingxand hasmore particular referenue to the provision 'of improved :means for and:method :of subdividing @or cutting up tapes to provide sections oflimited. il eferably uniform @length, tor 'use as tabs, the inventionincludingmeans for supporting a plurality of such cut tabs i lposition:ior rconvenient selection and individual ldelinery at a station whereused.

The tabs of the character -=herein contemplated find widespread iuseilor marking and other purposes trade and industry, and especially inthe electrical industry where :such tabs comprising paper ior otherfabric (having a slow drying or non-drying adhesive coated upon one:side of the tab, are used extensively :for the purpose of markingconductors, coils, solenoids, and other electrical equipment, includingtransformer taps and coil sections. Tabs of the character mentioned areusually made by cutting up-into tab sections, tapes lof extendedulength, :as vsupplied "in rolls by :the tape manufacturer, the [tape assupplied being coated on one side, at least, with .a suitable, usuallyslow \or non-drying adhesive.

an important object :of the present invention is to provide simple, yetexceeding-1y efilcient means for :cutting tape :to [form tab sections;aiurther object being to provide tor the simultaneous production lot as.relatively large number of tabs ase result of la single tab cuttingstroke;

a stillturtherwobject being to provide support or holder means affordinga mounting tor the cut tab sections, such mounting being arranged "toreceive andlsupport the tabs thereon as a result of the tab sent-tingEStIlOkB to .hereby eliminate the necessity of separately -.unounting.the out tabs upon a suitable tabholder.

Another important obiect is to provide a tab holder on which a pluralityof tabs :may be mountedin side by .side relationship in convenientposition facilitating selection and remoral of individual tabs therefrom.ior application as a part marker at an assembly station.

.Another important object resides the provision of means for cutting up,simultaneously, tapes of diiierent indicating --characteristics, usuallyof unlike color or carrying distinguishing markings, to term gpl'urality of contrasting tabs and at the -.sarne time mounting suchcontrasting tabs side .by side relationship on a common deliyerysupport.for selection and individual 'distribution therefrom, .as in an[assembly operation.

Another important object is to provide a tape cutting table comprising aplurality of removable tab supports upon which a plurality 'of tapelengths may be applied and upon which such tape lengths may be cut up-to provide tab sections in mounted position on the individual tabsupports, the tabs on each individual support being of unito'rm length;:-a Mother object being to :arrange the tab supports so that tabsfor-med on one supporter-lay be of length different from the :lengthoftabsrformedon other supports.

Another object is to form tab supports adapted for removable assembly in"a main support frame to provide a cutting table, r-said supports beingindividually removable from the frame after the tab cutting operationand being mountable, as at an assembly station, to present the cut tabs,supported thereon, Within convenient reach of a tab user at suchassembly station.

The tor'egoing and numerous other important objects, advantages, andinherent functions of the invention will become apparent as the same ismore 'ifully understood from the ltollowing description, which, taken incondunct-ion with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig, 1 is a perspective view of a tab holder mounted in position, as \atan assembly station, to present out tabs convenierdzly for ready removaland application, :as in an assembly operation;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of tape cutting table embodying a plurality oftab holders removably mounted in :a, support zframe to form the cuttingtable in accordance the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 inFig.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the lineL-4 in Fig. 3, on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line -5-5 Fig.4.

To illustrate the invention, the drawings show tab cutting table meansll comprising a support frame 13 and a plurality of tab supports 1-5removably mounted the frame. The tab supports "l5 each comprise a tabsupporting bar [1 which mayconveniently comprise astripof materialhaving .recta-ng-ula'r cross-s ectional configuration and being made ofany prefer-red material. such as fiber board, or asynthetic plastic, orother material, and the support frame l-3 provides means whereby the:bars l1 may be arranged in side by side, slightly spaced relationshipto form aslat-like cutting table top.

The bars "I I are preferably provided with mounting means for readilyattaching the same on any convenient support at an assembly or otherstation at which the cut tabs are to be used. To this end, in theillustrated embodiment each bar I! is provided with clips I9 comprisingstrips of sheet metal bent to form spaced apart clip arms 2!, and amedial plate portion 23 adapted for attachment on the tab carrying barI! as by means of the nuts and bolts 25 as shown, although it will beapparent that any suitable fastening device may be employed fordetachably mounting the tab support at an assembly station. As shown,the clips I9 afiord means for mounting the tab support removably on abar or rod 21, which may comprise part of an assembly bench.

The support frame I3 comprises a board 29 having dependent flanges 3|forming supports for mounting the board 29, as on a bench or table topon which the device may be used. The supports 3! serve to carry theboard 29 at an elevation above such bench or table top. The board 29 inthe illustrated embodiment is provided with a pair of slots 33, whichextend in parallelism and adjacent the edges of the board in position toreceive, therethrough, the clips I9 of the tab holders so that the barsI! may be laid flat and in spaced parallel relationshi on the cuttingtable. While any convenient means may be employed to maintain a desiredspaced relationship of the bars I1, the spacing function in theillustrated embodiment is performed by the clips I9, which are slightlywider than the bars, and thus serve to maintain spacement betweenadjacent bars when the clips thereof are in engagement in the supportframe. The top of the table, also, may be provided with grooves 35,along the edges of the slots 33, in order to accommodate the clipattaching bolts 25 so that the'bars I! may lie flat upon the top of theboard 29.

After a plurality of tab supports I5 have been mounted in side by siderelationship on the support frame I3, tape lengths 34 to be cut may beapplied in side by side relationship, transversely across and upon theslat-like cutting table afforded by the bars IT. The tape lengths, ofcourse, should be applied with their adhesive coated sides in engagementwith and adhered to the upwardly facing surfaces of the bars I'I. Afteras many tape lengths 34 as desired have been thus applied, said lengthsmay be out along lines of intersection 36 to form individual tabs 38 inposition adhering to the bars of individual tab supports merely byapplying a suitable cutting knife 31 along the edges 40 0f the bars I!and across the top of the board 29. It will be noted that tabs ofminimum length may thus be formed by applying the knife alongcorresponding edges 40 of each bar in the cutting table assembly. Longertabs, however, may be formed either by providing wide bars H, for someof the tab supports, or by omitting a cutting stroke between adjacentbars, as indicated at 39, to thereby provide long tabs mounted on a pairof adjacent bars. Still longer tabs may be formed, as shown. at 4!, byomitting the cutting stroke along the edges 48 of two or more adjacentbars to thereby provide tabs supported on three or more adjacent bars.In order to use such long tabs cut on two or more bars, the tabs may beeasily detached from all but one of the support bars I'I.

After formation of the cut tabs in position adhered on a tab support I5,such support and the cut tabs may be removed from the cutting tableassembly as a unit and transported to an assembly orother work station,where the tabs are to be used, and there mounted in position, on thesupport member 21, to allow a user of the tabs to select and strip off adesired tab for use in an assembly or other operation as needed. Themember 2'! may comprise any convenient rod, bar or other suitablemounting at the work bench or station where the cut tabs are used.

It will be obvious, of course, that tape lengths of any desired color ormarked ina distinctive fashion may be applied to the table so that avariety of distinguishing tabs may be cut and applied upon each of thetab supports I5 to the end that the user may have a wide selection oftabs instantly available for use at the assembly station.

It is thought that the invention and its numerous attendant advantageswill be fully understood from the foregoing description, and it isobvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages,the form herein dis-' closed being a preferred embodiment for thepurpose of illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A tabbing device comprising a plurality of tab bars, a frame forsupporting said bars re-' movably in spaced parallel relationship toprovide a cutting table for the reception, transversely on said bars, oftape lengths, said bars providing edges along which said tape lengthsmay be severed for the formation of cut tabs on said bars, fasteningmeans on said bars for securing the same, as on a support, in positionto dispense tabs after removal of said bars from said cutting table,said frame comprising a board on which said bars may be laid for supportand having cut out portions for the reception of said fastening means.

2. The method of cutting adhesive coated tape lengths to produce tabswhich consists in arranging a plurality of tape lengths in parallelrelationship and transversely of a tape supporting bar, and adheringsaid tape lengths to the bar, and then intersecting said tape lengthsalong an edge of said'bar to produce cut tabs adhering to the bar inside by side relationship, and then removing said bar with the cut tabsthereon and placing the same in position that the tabs may be selectedand stripped off of the bar for tabbing purposes.

3. The method of cutting adhesive coated tape lengths to produce tabswhich consists in arranging a plurality of tape lengths in parallelrelationship and transversely of a plurality of parallel spaced aparttab supporting bars, and

adhering said tape lengths to said bars, then intersecting said tapelengths along corresponding edges of said bars to provide cut tabsadhering, in side by side relationship, on each of said bars, thenremoving and selectively placing said bars with the tabs thereon inposition so that the cut tabs may be selected and stripped off from thebar for tabbing purposes.

4. A tabbing device comprising a support, a plurality of tab barsadapted to be mounted on said support to form a, supporting surface forreceivin strips of tape, and clip means affixed to said bars, said clipmeans being adapted to position said bars on said support andinterengaged to holdsaid bars in spaced relationship on said support,said clips being also adapted to secure said bar to a second support.

5. A tabbing device comprising a'support havng elongated slots therein,a plurality of tab aars adapted to be mounted on said support to form asupporting surface for receiving strips of tape, and a pair of clipsaflixed to each of said bars, said clips being adapted to be insertedinto said slots to position said bars on said support and interengagedto hold said bars in spaced relationship, said clips being also adaptedto secure said bar to a second support.

6. A tabbing device comprising a support, a plurality of tab barsadapted to be mounted on said support, said tab bars having a fiatsurface which forms a uniform plane supporting surface for receivinstrips of tape when mounted on said support, and clip means afiixed tosaid bars, said clip means being adapted to position said bars on saidsupport and interengaged to hold said bars in spaced relationship onsaid support, said clips being also adapted to secure said bar to asecond support.

CARL F. PRIME.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenices are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

